Here are the histories of my monoprints.
Well, as you may have read from my Etsy site, Monoprints (you can probably tell from the name) are prints that are only printed once. They intrigue me because generally the idea of using printmaking as a means of production is to yield a large quantity of the same item- Monoprints are completely contrary to their printmaking peers :) Each of these prints (Untitled, Cosmos, and Fireworks!) were created using my zinc printing plate before it was etched with a(nother) design. I made these prints as part of my intaglio print class. (Intaglio --pronounced in-tal-ee-o-- printing is done with an etched plate. Usually the plate is etched with acid. The assignment of monoprints was to create experimental and spontaneous designs with the printing ink on your flat plates.
Untitled resulted as a curiosity in exploring negative color relation and... a fondness for the itty-bitty brayer (ink roller) :) I used the back end of a paint brush to scratch into the thick ink before printing.
Cosmos came about from experimentation with the mineral spirits (ink solvent). I really liked how the melting ink looked cloudy, marbled-- it reminds me of pictures of the Universe, so I titled it Cosmos.
And finally, Fireworks! was the result of my professor accusing me of being unemotional with my work. I interpreted my frustration at his assertation of my indifference with pattern and texture (thick, rough dark black lines contrasting with fine swirls and dotted lines) to create a relatively unthreatening but still emotional and visually engaging piece.
I have a hard time parting with things that I can't ever get back, especially if they're something that are as much a part of me as my art is. That's partly why I think I love printmaking! You can pick a technique to make your work and ensure that you'll be able to make it (identically) again. I really appreciate the fact though, that art-prints are not generally mass-produced. (At least, I can't mass-produce my prints myself.) This gives me the opportunity to re-work a printed image into another project, allowing for mistakes and several versions of one project without sacrificing the handmade aspect (because it's still just one person printing a plate with an original drawing by hand).
Monoprints do obviously have their charm of being spontaneous, one-of-a-kind creations though! And I am ready and willing to give these beauties a good home- especially now that you know a bit more about them!
